Calls for Warne to play in ongoing Ashes

Melbourne, Dec 8: Bowling legend Shane Warne has thanked his supporters who have urged him to come out of retirement after Australia's Ashes campaign suffered a crushing blow in the Adelaide Test.

Shane Warne has taken 195 wickets in 36 test matches against England, which is the record for the most wickets taken in the Ashes. He has taken a phenomenal 195 wickets at a enviable bowling average of 23.25 with a strike rate of 55.1. His best performance in a single Ashes match was 8/71.

Australian people and sports writers have tried to cajole Warne out of retirement to save the cricket team in its hour of need. England secured victory in the second Test on Tuesday morning, eventually winning by an innings and 71 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

"I'm flattered that people want me to return in the Ashes for Australia. The way Australia are playing it is going to be very hard indeed to win two of the next three Tests and regain the Ashes," Warne wrote in the London Telegraph.

"These are uncharted waters for Australia. This is the first time England has beaten them by an innings in Australia for 24 years. That is a long, long time and England have a hell of a reason to celebrate and be excited," he wrote.

"This is crunch time for my old team. They are 1-0 down and have to make some hard decisions about all parts of their game - their bowling, their batting and their plans. They have to crack the question of how are we going to beat England, but they have little time to find the formula," Warne wrote.

"It will be very hard for Australia to win the series even if they draw in Perth. If England win at the Waca they will be unstoppable, and could win three or four nil, which would be an unbelievable result," he adds.